Sidney Nolan
Sir Sidney Robert Nolan (
April 22,
1917 -
28 November,
1992) was one of
Australia's most well-known
painters.
Nolan was born in
Melbourne and attended the National Gallery Art School. He was a close friend of the arts patrons
John and
Sunday Reed, and is regarded as one of the leading figures of the so-called "Heide Circle" that also included
Albert Tucker,
Joy Hester,
Arthur Boyd and
John Perceval. He joined the
Angry Penguins in the 1940s.
After leaving the army during World War II, Nolan lived for some time at the Reed's home, "Heide" outside Melbourne (now the
Heide Museum of Modern Art). Here he painted the first canvasses in his famous "Ned Kelly" series, reportedly with input from Sunday Reed. Nolan also conducted an open affair with Sunday Reed at this time although he subsequently married John Reed's sister,
Cynthia, after Sunday refused to leave her husband and marry him. He later married
Mary Boyd, a member of the
Boyd artistic dynasty and former wife of
John Perceval.
He later studied at the
Atelier 17, Paris, under the famous
S. W. Hayter.
Nolan painted a wide range of personal interpretations of historical and legendary figures, including explorers
Burke and Wills, and
Eliza Fraser.
Probably his most famous work is a series of stylised descriptions of the
bushranger Ned Kelly in the
Australian Outback. Paintings of
Dimboola landscapes by Sidney Nolan, who was stationed in the area while on army duty in World War II, can be found in the National Gallery of Victoria.
In 1950 Nolan moved to
London,
England, where he lived until his death. Nolan's treatment of his wife Cynthia led to a bitter and long-running public feud between Nolan and his former friend, writer
Patrick White, that lasted until Nolan's death.
Nolan is less well known for his skilled theatrical set designs and book illustrations.
*
Art of Australia*
The Nolan Gallery, Tharwa,
Australian Capital Territory *
Works by Nolan in Picture Australia*
Nolan Collection at the University of Western Australia - includes a brief biography*
National Gallery of Australia - brief description of Ned Kelly painting series*
Biography of Nolan on Australia Dancing
